the desire of ages-第80节

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ed　and　denied　his　divine　mission。　Now　in　the　same　spirit　the

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children　rejected　the　One　who　bore　the　message　of　God　to　themselves。　〃Then　said　Jesus　unto　them；　Verily；　verily；　I　say　unto　you；　Moses　gave　you　not　that　bread　from　heaven。〃　The　giver　of　the　manna　was　standing　among　them。　It　was　Christ　Himself　who　had　led　the　Hebrews　through　the　wilderness；　and　had　daily　fed　them　with　the　bread　from　heaven。　That　food　was　a　type　of　the　real　bread　from　heaven。　The　life…giving　Spirit；　flowing　from　the　infinite　fullness　of　God；　is　the　true　manna。　Jesus　said；　〃The　bread　of　God　is　that　which　cometh　down　out　of　heaven；　and　giveth　life　unto　the　world。〃　John　6：33；　R。　V。

Still　thinking　that　it　was　temporal　food　to　which　Jesus　referred；　some　of　His　hearers　exclaimed；　〃Lord；　evermore　give　us　this　bread。〃　Jesus　then　spoke　plainly：　〃I　am　the　bread　of　life。〃

The　figure　which　Christ　used　was　a　familiar　one　to　the　Jews。　Moses；　by　the　inspiration　of　the　Holy　Spirit；　had　said；　〃Man　doth　not　live　by　bread　only；　but　by　every　word　that　proceedeth　out　of　the　mouth　of　the　Lord。〃　And　the　prophet　Jeremiah　had　written；　〃Thy　words　were　found；　and　I　did　eat　them；　and　Thy　word　was　unto　me　the　joy　and　rejoicing　of　mine　heart。〃　Deut。　8：3；　Jer。　15：16。　The　rabbis　themselves　had　a　saying；　that　the　eating　of　bread；　in　its　spiritual　significance；　was　the　study　of　the　law　and　the　practice　of　good　works；　and　it　was　often　said　that　at　the　Messiah's　coming　all　Israel　would　be　fed。　The　teaching　of　the　prophets　made　plain　the　deep　spiritual　lesson　in　the　miracle　of　the　loaves。　This　lesson　Christ　was　seeking　to　open　to　His　hearers　in　the　synagogue。　Had　they　understood　the　Scriptures；　they　would　have　understood　His　words　when　He　said；　〃I　am　the　bread　of　life。〃　Only　the　day　before；　the　great　multitude；　when　faint　and　weary；　had　been　fed　by　the　bread　which　He　had　given。　As　from　that　bread　they　had　received　physical　strength　and　refreshment；　so　from　Christ　they　might　receive　spiritual　strength　unto　eternal　life。　〃He　that　cometh　to　Me；〃　He　said；　〃shall　never　hunger；　and　he　that　believeth　on　Me　shall　never　thirst。〃　But　He　added；　〃Ye　also　have　seen　Me；　and　believe　not。〃

They　had　seen　Christ　by　the　witness　of　the　Holy　Spirit；　by　the　revelation　of　God　to　their　souls。　The　living　evidences　of　His　power　had　been　before　them　day　after　day；　yet　they　asked　for　still　another　sign。　Had　this　been　given；　they　would　have　remained　as　unbelieving　as　before。　If　they　were　not　convinced　by　what　they　had　seen　and　heard；　it　was　useless　to　show　them　more　marvelous　works。　Unbelief　will　ever　find　excuse　for　doubt；　and　will　reason　away　the　most　positive　proof。

Again　Christ　appealed　to　those　stubborn　hearts。　〃Him　that　cometh

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to　Me　I　will　in　nowise　cast　out。〃　All　who　received　Him　in　faith；　He　said；　should　have　eternal　life。　Not　one　could　be　lost。　No　need　for　Pharisees　and　Sadducees　to　dispute　concerning　the　future　life。　No　longer　need　men　mourn　in　hopeless　grief　over　their　dead。　〃This　is　the　will　of　Him　that　sent　Me；　that　everyone　which　seeth　the　Son；　and　believeth　on　Him；　may　have　everlasting　life：　and　I　will　raise　him　up　at　the　last　day。〃

But　the　leaders　of　the　people　were　offended；　〃and　they　said；　Is　not　this　Jesus；　the　son　of　Joseph；　whose　father　and　mother　we　know？　how　is　it　then　that　He　saith；　I　came　down　from　heaven？〃　They　tried　to　arouse　prejudice　by　referring　scornfully　to　the　lowly　origin　of　Jesus。　They　contemptuously　alluded　to　His　life　as　a　Galilean　laborer；　and　to　His　family　as　being　poor　and　lowly。　The　claims　of　this　uneducated　carpenter；　they　said；　were　unworthy　of　their　attention。　And　on　account　of　His　mysterious　birth　they　insinuated　that　He　was　of　doubtful　parentage；　thus　representing　the　human　circumstances　of　His　birth　as　a　blot　upon　His　history。

Jesus　did　not　attempt　to　explain　the　mystery　of　His　birth。　He　made　no　answer　to　the　questionings　in　regard　to　His　having　come　down　from　heaven；　as　He　had　made　none　to　the　questions　concerning　His　crossing　the　sea。　He　did　not　call　attention　to　the　miracles　that　marked　His　life。　Voluntarily　He　had　made　Himself　of　no　reputation；　and　taken　upon　Him　the　form　of　a　servant。　But　His　words　and　works　revealed　His　character。　All　whose　hearts　were　open　to　divine　illumination　would　recognize　in　Him　〃the　Only…begotten　of　the　Father；　full　of　grace　and　truth。〃　John　1：14。

The　prejudice　of　the　Pharisees　lay　deeper　than　their　questions　would　indicate；　it　had　its　root　in　the　perversity　of　their　hearts。　Every　word　and　act　of　Jesus　aroused　antagonism　in　them；　for　the　spirit　which　they　cherished　could　find　in　Him　no　answering　chord。

〃No　man　can　come　to　Me；　except　the　Father　which　hath　sent　Me　draw　him：　and　I　will　raise　him　up　at　the　last　day。　It　is　written　in　the　prophets；　And　they　shall　be　all　taught　of　God。　Every　man　therefore　that　hath　heard；　and　hath　learned　of　the　Father；　cometh　unto　Me。〃　None　will　ever　come　to　Christ；　save　those　who　respond　to　the　drawing　of　the　Father's　love。　But　God　is　drawing　all　hearts　unto　Him；　and　only　those　who　resist　His　drawing　will　refuse　to　come　to　Christ。

In　the　words；　〃They　shall　be　all　taught　of　God；〃　Jesus　referred　to　the　prophecy　of　Isaiah：　〃All　thy　children　shall　be　taught　of　the　Lord；　and　great　shall　be　the　peace　of　thy　children。〃　Isa。　54：13。　This　scripture

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the　Jews　appropriated　to　themselves。　It　was　their　boast　that　God　was　their　teacher。　But　Jesus　showed　how　vain　is　this　claim；　for　He　said；　〃Every　man　therefore　that　hath　heard；　and　hath　learned　of　the　Father；　cometh　unto　Me。〃　Only　through　Christ　could　they　receive　a　knowledge　of　the　Father。　Humanity　could　not　endure　the　vision　of　His　glory。　Those　who　had　learned　of　God　had　been　listening　to　the　voice　of　His　Son；　and　in　Jesus　of　Nazareth　they　would　recognize　Him　who　through　nature　and　revelation　has　declared　the　Father。

〃Verily；　verily；　I　say　unto　you；　He　that　believeth　on　Me　hath　everlasting　life。〃　Through　the　beloved　John；　who　listened　to　these　words；　the　Holy　Spirit　declared　to　the　churches；　〃This　is　the　record；　that　God　hath　given　to　us　eternal　life；　and　this　life　is　in　His　Son。　He　that　hath　the　Son　hath　life。〃　1　John　5：11；　12。　And　Jesus　said；　〃I　will　raise　him　up　at　the　last　day。〃　Christ　became　one　flesh　with　us；　in　order　that　we　might　become　one　spirit　with　Him。　It　is　by　virtue　of　this　union　that　we　are　to　come　forth　from　the　grave；not　merely　as　a　manifestation　of　the　power　of　Christ；　but　because；　through　faith；　His　life　has　become　ours。　Those　who　see　Christ　in　His　true　character；　and　receive　Him　into　the　heart；　have　everlasting　life。　It　is　through　the　Spirit　that　Christ　dwells　in　us；　and　the　Spirit　of　God；　received　into　the　heart　by　faith；　is　the　beginning　of　the　life　eternal。

The　people　had　referred　Christ　to　the　manna　which　their　fathers　ate　in　the　wilderness；　as　if　the　furnishing　of　that　food　was　a　greater　miracle　than　Jesus　had　performed；　but　He　shows　how　meager　was　that　gift　when　compared　with　the　blessings　He　had　come　to　bestow。　The　manna　could　sustain　only　this　earthly　existence；　it　did　not　prevent　the　approach　of　death；　nor　insure　immortality；　but　the　bread　of　heaven　would　nourish　the　soul　unto　everlasting　life。　The　Saviour　said；　〃I　am　that　bread　of　life。　Your　fathers　did　eat　manna　in　the　wilderness；　and　are　dead。　This　is　the　bread　which　cometh　down　from　heaven；　that　a　man　may　eat　thereof；　and　not　die。　I　am　the　living　bread　which　came　down　from　heaven：　if　any　man　eat　of　this　bread；　he　shall　live　forever。〃　To　this　figure　Christ　now　adds　another。　Only　through　dying　could　He　impart　life　to　men；　and　in　the　words　that　follow　He　points　to　His　death　as　the　means　of　salvation。　He　says；　〃The　bread　that　I　will　give　is　My　flesh；　which　I　will　give　for　the　life　of　the　world。〃

The　Jews　were　about　to　celebrate　the　Passover　at　Jerusalem；　in　commemoration　of　the　night　of　Israel's　deliverance；　when　the　destroying　angel　smote　the　homes　of　Egypt。　In　the　paschal　lamb　God　desired　them

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to　behold　the　Lamb　of　God；　and　through　the　symbol　receive　Him　who　gave　Himself　for　the　life　of　the　world。　But　the　Jews　had　come　to　make　the　symbol　all…important；　while　its　significance　was　unnoticed。　They　discerned　not　the　Lord's　body。　The　same　truth　that　was　symbolized　in　the　paschal　service　was　taught　in　the　words　of　Christ。　But　it　was　still　undiscerned。

Now　the　rabbis　exclaimed　angrily；　〃How　can　this　Man　give　us　His　flesh　to　eat？〃　They　affected　to　understand　His　words　in　the　same　literal　sense　as　did　Nicodemus　when　he　asked；　〃How　can　a　man　be　born　when　he　is　old？〃　John　3：4。　To　some　extent　they　comprehended　the　meaning　of　Jesus；　but　they　were　not　willing　to　acknowledge　it。　By　misconstruing　His　words；　they　hoped　to　prejudice　the　people　against　Him。

Christ　did　not　soften　down　His　symbolical　representation。　He　reiterated　the　truth　in　yet　stronger　language：　〃Verily；　verily；　I　say　unto　you；　Except　ye　eat　the　flesh　of　the　Son　of　man；　and　drink　His　blood；　ye　have　no　life　in　you。　Whoso　eateth　My　flesh；　and　drinketh　My　blood；　hath　eternal　life；　and　I　will　raise　him　up　at　the　last　day。　For　My　flesh　is　meat　indeed；　and　My　blood　is　drink　indeed。　He　that　eateth　My　flesh；　and　drinketh　My　blood；　dwelleth　in　Me；　a